Kaskade came to play in Long Beach last weekend for the second coming of his Sunsoaked Beach Party. The festival brought 8 DJs, and over 30,000 ravers to the coast for 7 hours of continuous beats.
So how did it stack up to the prior year? The best change: Atmosphere. Get it? “Atmosphere.” Ok, anyway, this year’s Sunsoaked stepped up the festival atmosphere with more focus on the amenities. More open ground, a giant inflatable slide, water stations, shaded areas with picnic tables and giant mist fans.
Photo via Arkade
MOST IMPORTANT…the food and beverage options were a night and day difference from last year. While 2017 consisted of basic picnic fare, 4 bar lines that took 2 hours to get through, and closed 2 hours before the show ended, 2018 brought more variety. Well known food options, including food trucks, and quadruple the number of bar stations was a good improvement. Unfortunately, it still took awhile to get through the food line and another hour to get a drink. The experience could be improved with the addition of a cash only line and an increased sense of urgency by food and beverage vendors.
In the end, that disappointment was quickly erased by a clearly upgraded sound system and a Kaskade set I would rank in my top two personal favorite performances. His energy and upbeat set, mixing both new and old tracks lifted the crowd out of their heat exhaustion and dehydration. Creating a beach party vibe that left us all counting the days until Sunsoaked 2019.
Photo via Arkade
